Improvement in velocipedes



L. T. S11/10N.

Veloci pede.

Patented Aug. 17, 186

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N. PETERS. vmnrmhompm. whshmgmv. D r.

diritti States.

LoUIsfrH. sIMpoN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent N 93,915, dated ugust 17, 1869.

IMPRovnMENT 1N Avanocrprnms'.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making pan of thesame.

To all whom it may concern l h Figure 3 is a rear elevation of theback-gear de-A tached.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists of a shoulder-rest in a plane, at right anglesor nearly so with the direction in which the footfpieces move, saidfootpieces being secured to rods which are supported at one end by thecranks of the Vdriving-axle, and at the opposite end by links pivoted tothe frame or reach of the velocipede, in such a manuel' that saidback-rest forms a point rlfappuz' for the rider, enabling him to exerthis full power with the Vbest possible advantage in propelling thevelocipede.

Y The invention consists, further, in the arrangement of a back-gear,incombination of a series of gearwbeels mounted on the driving-axle,with a clutch which serves to couple the driving-wheel and axletogether, and with a lever which governs the back-gear and clutch insuch a manner, that by the action of said lever the back-gear and theclutch can be thrown in or out of gear, and thereby the rid'er isenabled to multiply the power'and decrease the speed in going uphill, orto throw the driving-wheel and back-gear out otl gear with thecrank-axle in going down-hill, or to multiply the speed in going on alevel surface, or to throw the back-gear entirely out ot' action, whilethe driving-wheel is coupled to the crank-axle, ifthe rider desires totravel at the ordinary speed, thus producing a velocipede which admitsof four changes to'suit the speed at which the rider desires to travelandthe iormat-ion ofthe Vground to be passed over.

In the drawing- The letter A designates the main or driving-axle of avelocipede, on which are two wheels, B B', revolving ire-ely on thesame, and which connects, by a reach, or frame, C, with the platform l),that forms the bearing i'or king-bolt c of the steering-wheel E.

The axle A is provided with two cranks, b,'which connect, by means ofrods c, with links d, that are pivoted to the reach C, so that theconnecting-rods c reciprocate in a horizontal plane, or nearly so.

Tosaid connecting-rods are secured the foot-pieces e, which are adjustedat suitable distances from the seat F. This seat issupported by thereach C, and it is provided with a high back, or shoulder-rest, lGr, ex-

tending upward, at right angles or nearly soto the direction in whichthe foot-pieces e move, so that it forms v a point dappuz', supportingthe rider while acting on the foot-pieces, and enabling him to exert hisfull power in propelling the telocipede.

l This arrangement oftbe sl1oulderrest is of the greatest importance,since it enables the rider to bear with his feet on the foot-rests,while his back and shoulders press against v and are sustained by theshoulder-rest, whereas, in velocipedes of the ordinary construction, theseat is usually made without a backrest, or if there is a back-rest, itis not high enough to support the shoulders, and it serves to preventthe rider from sliding off from the seat, but it never is in such aposition in relation to the foot-pieces that it forms a point zlappu'i,enabling the rider to exert his fnllpower on the foot-pieces.

The wheels B B revolve freely on the axle A, and to the hub of one ofthe wheels, B, which forms the driving-wheel, is firmly secured acog-wheel, f, which is provided on its inner surface with one or moreprojections, to engage with the clutch g.

This clutch is secured to the axle A by means of a featherJkey, so thatit can be moved toward and from the cog-wheel f, and it is connected bysuitable levers and rock-shafts with the hand-lever 1l., so that bydepressingsaid haud-lever, .the clutch'cau ,be made to engage with theprojections on the'inner'surface of the cog-wheel f, and thereby thedriving-wheel is coupled together with the axle A. In this case thedriving-.wheel Bmakes one revolution for eachrrevolution of the axle A,and the velocipede is propelled with the ordinary speed.

lf itis desired to multiply the speed or the power, the back-gear isbrought. into action. This back-gear ,consists of three gear-wheels, Iilj k, mounted on a `coirnter-shaft, Z, which extends across the reach C,

parallel to the axle A, and of the cog-wheel j, and two othercog-wheels, m n, mounted on the axle A.

The cog-wheel t is mounted firmly on the countershaft I, and is alwaysin gear with the cog-wheel f, but-v thc cog-wheels j 7.1 are secured tosaid counter-shaft' by means of feather-keys, so that they can be thrownin or ont of gear with the wheels 'm n, and the proportion between thewheels j and on is such, that if these two are thrown in gear, the. axleA makes two or more revolutions to one of the counter-shaft I, while theproportion between the wheels k and a is the reverse, giving two or morerevolutions to the vcountershaftfor each revolution of the axle A.

The wheels j It connect, by suitable levers and roel:- shafts, with thehand-lever h, and these connections are so arranged, that by raising thehand-lever partly up and moving it in toward the seat, the eog\\'hecl jis thrown in gear with the cog-wheel m, while at the same time theclutch is thrown outof -gear with the cog-wheel Land in this case theaxle A makes two or more -revolutions te one of the driving-wheelBfa'nd,

consequently, the power is multiplied, while the speed is proportionallyreduced.

In order'to throw the wheel k in gear with cog-- wheel n, thehand-lever' h is forced back, away from the seat, and then raised up. Bythis motion the j and 'la are both lthrown out of gear-,while the clutchg remains out of gear with the og-wheel f. In this ease the(hiring-wheel B revolves independent of the axle, so that in goingdownhill .the axle and the footpieees remain stationary, and the liderhas time to rest.

On level ground, the speed-multiplying 'gear may he used, -lout in going11p-,hill the power-multiplying gear is brought into action, and all thechanges; can be "made'while the veloeipede is in motion. v

A ily-wheel, I, mounted on the countershaft l, serves t`o equalize themotion of the machine.

Having thus described my invention,

That I claim as new, `and desire to secure by-Letters Patent, is-

1. The shoulder-rest G, arranged, in :combination with the adjustablefoot-pieces e, upon rod c, so as to form a point of support to enablethe rider to apply his full powerin' propelling the ve1ocipede,.as setforth'.

2. The hand-lever hand oog-wheels j k f on n, and clutch y, incombination with the driving-wheel B and crank-axle A, all constructedand operating substan` tially in the manner shown and described.

LOUIS TH. SIMON.

' Vitnesses WV. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBEB.

